Mauritius Climate
MAURITIUS CLIMATE
“The climate in Mauritius is half the reason I was so sold on the idea of living here! Mauritius enjoys a mild tropical maritime climate of hot summers and warm winters.
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Here I will tell you first hand what my experience of the climate has been like, however I don't guarantee you the same experience. If you don't find what you are looking for you can always contact me by clicking on one of the inquiry form buttons throughout this site".
Karen
WINTER
Winter in Mauritius is the coldest and driest period of the year. Having said that, these months still feel like summer to me coming from UK! Winter starts in April and ends in October with May and November being known as the transition months.
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The average winter temperature is 20.4 degrees Celsius. I know, it's hardly a winter at all! The temperature difference between the two seasons is only 4.3 degrees Celsius. The coolest months are July and August where the lowest temperatures can reach 16.4 degrees Celsius. It seems the sun is not so strong during this period as I don't get sunburnt if I am out in the day.
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In the winder months the Central Plateau receives 6 hours of bright sunlight and the coastal areas receive 7 hours. in terms of rainfall, there isn't much. The mean rainfall in the winter is 666mm and October seems to be the driest month of the year.
SUMMER
Mauritius has only 2 distinct season, summer and winter. Summer in Mauritius falls between the months of November and April with October and May being known as the transition months. The summer months are the hottest and driest months of the year .
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The average temperature during summer is 24.7 degrees Celsius. The hottest months of the year are January and February with the average temperature being 29.2 degrees Celsius. The sun definitely seems to be at it's strongest at this time so take extra precautions when going out in the sun.
In the summer the island receives 6 hours of bright day light inland and up to 8 hours in the coastal regions.
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Although it is summer, it is also the wettest season. There is no labelled 'rainy season' but the wettest months are February and March. The average rainfall during the summer months is 1344mm. That is 67% of the annual amount over the Island.
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From my own experience I would add that mountainous areas seem to receive more frequent rain fall, so areas like Black River Gorges, Moka and Curepipe often have lingering clouds and quick on and off showers. You can wake up thinking there's no change of going to the beach with thick grey clouds and pouring rain then an hour later bright blue skies and sunshine!
CYCLONES
Check out the cyclone page for all you need to know about cyclones (link below).
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But in short a cyclone is an intense tropical storm which forms over warm tropical oceans. It is characterised by low atmospheric pressure, strong winds and heavy rain.
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Mauritius is effected by cyclones almost every year, but these are not direct hits and usually the remnants of big storms. Cyclones occurring during the summer months when the ocean is at it's warmest.
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Although this might sound scary, Mauritius so so accustomed to having cyclones, it has become a way of life. Most building and properties have cyclone reinforcements and special shutters to protect you from the storms. Most homes also have generators to keep a flow of electricity coming to your home when the electricity cables inevitably fall down.
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When a cyclone hits it is categorised in classes to determine the severity of the precautions to be taken. A class 4 or 5 is the worst and means everything gets closed you must stay home and wait out the storm for your own safety.
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This was just a brief explanation, for more info click the button below to see our cyclone page.
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TORRENTIAL RAIN WARNINGS
Torrential rain warning happen when 100mm of rain is recorded in a period of 12 hours. If this rain is persistent and continues the warning will be extended.
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Warnings are issued as this much heavy rain can cause flash flooding, flooding of residential and urban areas as well as rivers and streams overflowing. A secondary effect of torrential rain is landslides in mountainous areas or hill/slopes which causes a potentially high risk hazard.
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Once the meteorological services as has a reading of over 100mm of rain in a 12 hour period they will advise the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education and Human Resources. Then the police will issue warning via the radio and news channels..
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When ever torrential rain conditions occur the all schools are closed ( Pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary schools).
CLIMATE CHANGE
It saddens me to say, but like the rest of the world Mauritius is also being effected by climate change. With the average temperatures rising 0.15 Degrees Celsius per decade there is a clear increase when compared to readings taken since the 1960's. Reports form 2007 state that the sea water temperature is also increasing from the surface level and up to 700m depths.
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Sea level readings from the capital, Port Louis show an average rise in sea level of 1.5 mm per year. since 1950, although a longer measurement time is needed for more reliable results. The general warming of the atmosphere has impacted the hydrogen cycle and cause a decrease in the amount of rainfall. A decrease of 57mm per decade has been averaged since 1950s. Other impacts include a shift in seasons. With delayed rainfall lots of pressure is put on the water system to supply the increasing demand for agricultural, tourist, industrial and domestic purposes.
There has been an increase in consecutive dry days and a decrease in consecutive wet days. Although the number of rainy days is decrease the number of extreme weather events leading to flash flooding and interruption of social economic activities as massively increased in the last 2 decades.
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Actions taken to combat climate change include bringing ideas of sustainable development to parliament from both public and private sectors and increased monitoring systems to measure the impacts of climate change.
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